Bebruary, 1905 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 69 
it stands, as it is too cumbersome to be 
moved through the door. 
With so much of exterior interest in this 
remarkable old homestead, one would be 
disappointed if its environment did not 
reflect something of the peacefulness of 
accumulated years, the simplicity of its 
Colonial origin. 
So many times a glimpse into the olden 
times is despoiled of its pleasure by a 
modern or inharmonious setting. Some- 
times by choice, often by necessity, our 
time-worthy structures are surrounded by 
detracting elements in nature or architec- 
ture. 
The home just described is fortunate in 
being out of the line of city growth, 
although it stands almost in suburban dis- 
tance from the largest city in Massa- 
chusetts. ‘Tall trees are at its entrance, 
and its ancient acres encircle it on every 
side. Uncompanioned by other _habita- 
tions, it has a primitive seclusion of its 
own. 
We of the present generation often long 
The Sheraton sideboard and comer cupboard for the “simple life,” but how many of us, 
given the opportunity, would lead it as 
The wood-paneled screen is a memorial from the oldest faithfully and consistently as the owners of the seventeenth 
occupied church in the United States, and was devised by the century homestead we have tried to describe? 
present occupant of the old homestead from 
the pew doors of the famous meeting house 
when its interior was remodeled. 
Among the chambers upstairs one in par- 
ticular attracts the antiquarian who is in- 
terested in the customs of a past century. 
This is the front room, where a small plat- 
form was built under the high window to 
enable the housewife while at work over 
her sewing table to glance down the road 
and enjoy whatever was passing. The 
woodwork around the fireplace is set in 
panels to the ceiling without a mantelshelf. 
An old washstand has a complete toilet set 
in blue and white china. The high chest of 
drawers with carved sunburst is matched by 
a lowboy that is used as a dressing-table. 
The four-post bedstead is repeated with 
and without canopies in all of the other 
rooms used for sleeping. 
Many of the bedroom pieces of furni- 
ture were made by those who lived in the 
homestead, and one tall chest of drawers 
must have originated in the room in which 
